GaaLee MAIN
by sandlotus
Summary: What will happen when the demon of the sand and the stubborn rock lee befriend eachother, and eventually struggle for love? This story was eventually written on dA, and is going thru an entire revamp. Disclaimer; I own NOTHING
1. Chapter 1

"Finally. I have been waiting forever to get a mission..."Rock Lee claimed excitedly, hiding, an impatient edge. "So, what is it?" He added questioningly. He was in the Hokage's office, it had been three years since the chunin exams, since he had his operation. But he had recovered swiftly. The only problem had been, things kept going wrong. Attacks, mishaps. And then the therapy Sakura had forced him through. So he couldn't get a decent mission. Nothing more than delivering packages to other villages, or something trivial like that. He frowned in concentration. He knew that Tsunade was just being sure he was fine before he went charging into battle...but waiting three years? Gai-Sensei must of had some influence over his mission timing. He was overly protective. Lee sighed exasperatedly. He knew that Gai cared, but sometimes, Lee just wish the crazy sensei would let him live his life."Your mission. Well, Lee...as an alliance to the Sand Village...we need someone who understands the diplomatic side of everything." Lee's face fell. '_Another boring mission? What...am I just supposed to deliver some important papers to Suna?' _

"Don't look at me like that, Lee." Hokage Tsunade wearily demanded. Lee straightened his face into an respectful expression. "Am I supposed to deliver more packages, then?" He asked miserably."Papers? No, Lee. I know you don't know anything about diplomacy...but you're the best choice we have. We need you as a liaison for the problems with Suna and Konoha. Things may come up, and you will have to...help out the there have been hectic, and the other countries have been denying them any assistance. And what happened with Orochimaru, Sand and Konoha have both stuck together since. Not only with battle, but as well with paperwork, the sand ninja there will rely on you if there is any trouble...you will be treated like one of them." Tsunade explained. Lee was confused. "A go between?" He asked curiously. "Yes...there are going to be some meetings to further our alliance. You will need to sit in on those, as a leaf jounin, the only one I am sending on this mission...you will be representing Konoha." Tsunade told him fiercely. Her eyes narrowed warningly as she folded her hands beneath her chin. "So if you so much as place one toe out of line…I mean it, Lee. _Don't embarrass me."_ Lee immediately straightened up and put his hand up in a salute. "Yes ma'am." He started to turn, so he could get ready and leave for his mission as soon as possible. But Tsunade called him back. "Lee! Wait, there are a few ground rules." She claimed hurriedly. "First, everyone knows how..'_sensitive'_ Gaara is. Don't get him mad. The sooner you remember hpw short a fuse he has, the better.." She glanced to his previously broken leg pointedly. "Second, you will have your own office, but are to report to the Kazekage _daily._ He will need to know of your progress, and if there are any troubles. Third...I'm sure I don't need to tell you this...no Shukaku talk. That's as taboo as someone mentioning the fact you have no jutsu. I'm sure It would just upset him. You shouldn't have to see Gaara except for business, and he likes his privacy...so don't bug him. We all know how exuberant you are. I think that should be it..." Tsunade said glancing down at the papers on her desk. "And Lee? Good luck." She added, rubbing at her temples in irritation. "I fear you may need it."Lee saluted again and turned to leave the office. He walked out, thinking about his mission. _'A liasion?'_ _For Suna?'_ he pondered. He started walking to his house...he had to pack everything if he was to leave right away. He opened his door, and saw Gai-sensei there. In his house. Gai Sensei noticed Lee coming through the door and grabbed him in a bone crushing hug. "Well?" he asked. He had known Lee would get a mission...but what kind he had no clue. So Lee sat down and talked to him. He explained about his specific orders, and that he had to leave right away. Gai sensei looked at his student with tears shining in his eyes before he turned and walked to the door. "Well, I had to let you go sometime. You couldn't stay my student forever...could you? I'll let you get to packing now, just say good-bye before you leave." Gai requested walking out the gaped after him. He heard the door close behind Gai, and snapped his mouth shut. "Right. That's enough. I've got work to do." He told himself. He headed to his bedroom, holding a khaki backpack...he had to pack months of clothing in one backpack? _'Man, this will be more difficult than I thought.'_ He speculated. He went into his closet and grabbed as many green suits as he had. The only clothes he wore. He headed into the kitchen to fill some water bottles, and pack some fruit. It was healthy and sweet, and.._'That should be the best thing when your traveling...it will help me replenish my energy quickly._' He thought triumphantly. He had everything...food, clothes, water. Even his weights and legwarmers. He walked out the door to go say goodbye to Gai-Sensei. He got to his sensei's house, hoping to make this a quick goodbye. Lee really hated saying goodbye. So fast was best for everyone. Fortunately, it had to be fast. Gai was also heading out the door. He had been called to Tsunade's office. As soon as Lee said his goodbye's to everyone, he headed outside the village gates, and started sprinting to Suna. He ran full speed... The sooner he got there...the sooner he could get to reached Sunagakure by the next nightfall, but was so exhausted, he felt like he was about to collapse. But he saw Kankuro walking in his direction and straightened up. "Hey, man. You know you're early..._right_?" Kankuro drawled out lazily, leaning against a pillar of stone.

. Lee scratched his head and grinned. "A test of endurance...thats all. But I'm here. Early is better than late, right?" Lee explained. Kankuro looked at him as though he had suddenly sprouted feelers from his head. "I suppose. Let me show you your office." Kankuro turned and started walking up a massive stairwell leading to the main towers of Suna. They walked past five office rooms before they came to a vacant and elegant office. "This ones Gaara's. If something comes up, you'll have to see him. I don't know anything about his Kazekage duties, so don't come to me with problems. I'm just a guard. And his brother." Kankuro explained, smiling faintly. They kept walking...past two more offices....until they got to Lee's. It was smaller and less cushy than the others...but Lee loved it. For him, it was roomy. He didn't need a lot of space. He turned to thank Kankuro, but he had already sat at his desk, looking around the room. He got up to make himself a cup of tea. When he put his tea on the desk, he sat to drink it and look over some papers, but promptly fell asleep at his desk. The next morning, he awoke with the sun. He opened his eyes in disorientation. He momentarily forgot where he was as he rubbed at his eyes groggily. But he remembered when he heard Temari's voice down the hall. He groaned as his muscles started to complain about getting so little rest. Ignoring the pain, he looked at his desk. There was a paper that hadn't been there the night before. It was a paper he had to fill out as a liasion for the villages. He sighed and filled in the lines. It took him fifteen minutes to do...some questions were rather difficult. But he finished and took a drink of his tea from last night. His stomach growled in response. 'No time for nourishment.' He answered back scoldingly, only then mentally chastising himself for talking to his body. What next? Was he going to end up starting a conversation with a wall?

He got up, planning on taking the form to the Kazekage. But as he opened the door, he saw Gaara walking past the office, his Kazekage hat in his hand, and looking tired. Lee immediately looked at the Kazekage's head. _'Still short, but not as much.' _Lee noted amused. _'I guess that's what three years will do to you. Although he still has the same red messy hairstyle he's always had.'_ Lee added to himself in thought. Gaara hadn't noticed Lee yet, so Lee went walking after him. "Um..Gaa—I mean Kazekage-sama?" Lee said softly. He didn't want to startle Gaara. The kazekage turned around, the tired look on his face gone. He had a look of impassiveness on his face. Lee started to sweat. It was only three years ago that Gaara had broken his arm and leg. But then again, he had also saved his life once. Lee had forgiven him for the chunin exams...and now was not the time to be scared. He narrowed his eyes in determination. "I have to give you this paper, Gaara. It's a form for being a go-between." Lee explained. Gaara looked at him with a searching gaze. He had the type of eyes that can pierce straight through to your soul. Lee tried not to blink.

"I know what paper it is. I was told you arrived last night...so I dropped it off for you. But you were already asleep." Gaara explained emotionlessly, though there was a trace of amusement at the edges. Or was that Lee's imagination? "Perhaps the next tiem, Rock Lee, you should take some rest before going straight to work. I need the strongest, hardest working men. Not ones bound to collapse as soon as they get here."

Lee turned red. After all the times he had bragged about his pain tolerance...about his speed superiority...it seemed his body had been too fatigued to go on longer than necessary last night. "Um, yeah. Well, thanks for dropping off the…the paper... I filled it out, and I have to get back to my desk. I have others." Lee answered handing the form over to Gaara.

"Lee." Gaara replied in a politely commanding tone. "The papers can wait. Get some proper rest. You have an apartment on the other side of the village. I know no one had told you about it yet...but it's fully furnished, and you need to rest your body before doing any more work." Gaara ordered him. Lee started to object, but the Kazekage was gone before he could say anything.

Lee started heading over to his newly acquired apartment. It wasn't as far as Gaara had led Lee to believe. In fact, if he looked out his window, he could see the Kazekage office. He looked, and started to turn away from the window. But he stopped when he saw Gaara in his office. Lee noted how Gaara looked tired and drawn. And lonely. Lee was still looking into the office, when he collapsed from exhaustion. He decided he should make it to his bed...and he vowed to check in on Gaara later. Lee fell asleep thinking about all the changes that were sure to come...living in a desert...so much of a change from the lush forests he was used to. Lee felt his eyes drifting closed, and felt himself fall into a drowsy slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

" 1,091...1,092...1,093..." Lee counted off. The thing he hated most about training....was the squats. "Lee! Stop for a minute, and follow me!" Gai sensei commanded. Lee thought it was weird that his Sensei was dressed in a pink tutu, but he forgot about that as Gai turned around and pounced in the air, sprouting wings.....

Lee awoke from his crazy dream, wondering if it was supposed to have any purpose underlying in it. He looked out the window...it was nighttime. "_Damn_! I've been sleeping all day, and I haven't gotten any work done!" He thought aloud. What a way to start his first day. He wasn't making a very good first impression. He jumped off his bed and hurried into the bathroom to take a shower. Living in Sunagakure...you had to be careful how much water you use.

But the hot water felt so good on his aching muscles. He turned around and walked directly into the spray, determined to hurry his shower. He could feel the dust and sand rinsing from his face and hair. He moaned in delight. After the long sprint here; and practically running through a sandstorm; it felt so good to wash the grainy dirt and sand away. But the water also revealed where he had little scratches from the storm. And cleaning out the grit, felt like he was peeling his skin off. He clenched his teeth in determination...insistent on cleaning his scratches well. They may only be just a tiny wound...but mixed with sand, it could cause a big problem.

By the time he had finished his arms were bleeding slightly. He put gauze on his scratches and wrapped his arms and torso in his traditional bandaging. He got out of the shower, irritated at himself for taking so long. "Who knew it was so difficult to clean the crap out of a few scratches?" He wondered aloud, grabbing his backpack off the back of the toilet seat, and reaching inside for one of his green suits. He got dressed hurriedly, strapping some weights onto his ankles before putting on his legwarmers. In Suna, you don't really need legwarmers...but he had never gone a day without them and he wouldn't start now. He headed over to the window, remembering his resolve to visit Gaara later. He saw the Kazekage sitting at his desk, one hand on his head, his fingers weaving through his hair in thought. Lee smirked to himself_. 'That red hair is as noticeable as....well.. Naruto's jumpsuit.' _He thought to himself. He abruptly turned away from the window. "Right. Time to get some work done." He told himself, his hair plastered to the sides of his face from his shower. He hadn't taken time to dry it...he had a lot to do. He grabbed his bag with food...apples, pears, and grapes...and took them to his office.

On his way over, he noticed how much cooler it was at night. The wind picked up and blew around him. He was a great deal happier walking to his office then he had been when he left his apartment...

Night time was the best time...it was cool, dark, and quiet. As he approached the office building, he saw Kankuro coming out. The puppeteer had started to walk down the stairs when he noticed Lee and did a double take. "What are you doing here so late?" Kankuro asked curiously. "Work." Lee replied quickly, hoping to finish all the papers on his desk. "At this time of night?" the puppetmaster shot back incredulously. "Well, yeah. I was asleep all day. Gaara seemed to think it best I rest my body before getting to work." Lee answered. He started to head further up the stairs when he heard a "Hmmm..." from behind him. He turned to look at Kankuro...and thats when he realized the jounin wasn't wearing his hood...or kabuki paint. 'I never noticed how much he looks like Gaara...' thought Lee, amazed. He turned back around to head to his office. He really wasn't in the mood for an interrogation.

He headed into his office to file his papers. 'As far as missions go...this is boring so far, just paperwork.' Lee thought to himself gloomily. He raised his head as he felt a flare of chakra from down the hall... 'a flare, but not threatening.' He noted.

"Something must be bugging Gaara..." Lee pondered. 'Well, it can't be me...I'm not anywhere near him.' he told himself decisively. He turned back to his work, trying to concentrate. It was a dull task...filling out forms...but he had to get it done and return the forms to the Kazekage...Gaara.

It took three hours to fill out twenty forms...he rubbed his face with unmistakable weariness. Now he just had to return them...He strained his senses, hoping Gaara would still be around. He felt a brief flicker of chakra for an answer. Rubbing the back of his neck, Lee grabbed the papers, sorting them alphabetically. He stood up and headed towards the door, his bag in his other hand. Lee walked down the hall to Gaara's office, and knocked politely. Gaara answered the door, looking more tired than before. "I, um, came to give these to you." Lee said, taking in Gaara's ragged appearance. He frowned at Gaara, but Gaara just stared back. The young Kazekage backed up a step and motioned him inside.

Lee widened his eyes in shock. As far as he knew, Gaara liked to have his privacy...and let noone interfere. But Lee felt as though he were intruding as he walked cautiously into the Kazekage office. He closed the door behind him and followed Gaara to the big oak desk in the middle of the office. Lee danced from one foot to the other, feeling uneasy...like he shouldn't be there. "Just tell me where to put these, Gaara, and I'll let you get back to work." Lee stated uncomfortably. The sand ninja turned around to look at Lee...he took the papers without question, and slumped in his chair. Lee stood in the middle of the office for a minute. 'Gaara may be the Kazekage, but he needs to take better care of himself. And he was lecturing me about getting rest?' Lee thought to himself in sympathy.

Gaara closed his eyes, and rubbed at his forehead. Lee looked on in worry. "Listen Gaara...I know you're Kazekage and all...but you need a break. How much use could you be if someone attacked, and you were all worn down?" Lee scolded gently. Gaara's eyes immediately snapped open, he glared at Lee in warning, but then a moment later the look was replaced by one of unemotion.

Lee sighed heavily to himself. It was clear the Sand Village's stubborn Kazekage wasn't going to listen to Lee's advice. It may not have been smart to just come out and imply, 'Listen Gaara...get some rest cause you look like crap,' when the kazekage was this tired. It would be dangerous to piss Gaara off if he was worn down...Hell, it was dangerous to piss him off at anytime...but when he was this tired...there could be deadly consequences.

Lee turned and headed for the exit, intending to leave Gaara to his silent office. But as he was about to walk out the door, he heard a frustrated mutter. "Lee, wait." Gaara demanded quietly. The dark haired jounin turned around in surprise. Gaara looked like he was struggling with himself...

"Stay." Gaara ordered softly. Lee looked at Gaara for another moment, then slowly walked over the clients side of the desk and sat. Lee reached for his bag he had set on the floor...feeling around for the fruit he had stashed in his bag, it looked lik Gaara could use a bit of nourishment. He grabbed a pear and offered it to Gaara, whom just looked at it suspiciously for a second before snatching it out of Lee's grasp. He then sniffed it delicately before biting into it.

As far as food went around here...it pretty much sucked. They had no fruit plants...and the only time animals really came out was at night...or during a sandstorm...probably trying to find a new shelter. So Lee wasn't surprised when he saw the shock on Gaara's face when he started nibbling on this strange unknown fruit. As far as Lee could tell...Gaara was enjoying this new food experience. Gaara took a rather large bite, and pear juice dribbled down his chin, Lee watched as the kazekage's tongue darted out to catch as much juice as he could.

Lee felt odd watching Gaara eating a pear...it was interesting to see Gaara's face light up with wonder...but Lee also could feel his face burn whenever he saw him stick out his tongue to catch what was lingering on his lips. When Gaara had noticed Lee watching him, he immediately set down the fruit and folded his hands. "How do you like your apartment?" he questioned uninterestedly. "Oh, it's great. And I want to thank you...for assigning me a place to stay. I hadn't even thought about it when I arrived in Suna." Lee babbled...not quite sure how to thank the kazekage. Gaara just waved his hand in dismissal.

Lee started to fidget as Gaara watched him with his unwavering gaze. Just as Lee was about to open his mouth to thank him also for the luxurious office Gaara had set him up with...Gaara gracefully stood up and walked over to the window. "Gaara...do you want to go for a walk...?" asked Lee carefully. Maybe the night air would clear his head...and he was still sure that Gaara could use a break. He was only eighteen, and the whole Sand Village relied entirely on him. That was way too much strain for a young man.

Gaara looked over at Lee...appearing to be thinking it over. But he turned back to the window and nodded. Lee grabbed his bag and waited while Gaara latched his gourd onto his back. They both headed out into the dark streets silently.

**Short chapter. And this story was the first story I had ever written, being moved over from deviantart**


	3. Chapter 3

As Lee and Gaara walked through the streets, the young leaf noticed the redhead looked extremely distracted. "Gaara..." Lee started, but got cut off when they passed a playground and noticed somewhat of a riot. There was a rush of footsteps, and the sounds of terrified gasps or whimpering. The young men turned to see what was wrong, and there were three kids; watching Gaara with fear

'_Outside at this hour?'_ Lee to look at the Kazekage, alarmed by how he had suddenly gone so still. He searched his face, and noticed the brief expression of dejection cross his features. Lee was a compassionate soul...and when he saw that look come over Gaara, he wanted to comfort him. But as quickly as the look came over Gaara...it was replaced by a look of anger just as fast. Lee could feel Gaara's chakra blazing; and he was prepared to protect the young children, should the worst happen.

The sound of the sand in Gaara's gourd rattling was soon heard, but he felt the kazekage take a deep breath, and his chakra started to stabilize. Lee looked over in the children's direction again but they had run off. The younger man then turned and headed towards the playground with Lee following him, slightly confused. He was still on edge. But he calmed himself when he saw the kazekage slump into a vacant swing and sigh heavily, his eyes closed. Lee went to sit next to him, smirking faintly when Gaara looked up at him as he took his seat, taken aback.

The Kazekage hadn't expected Lee to stick around. _'Why didn't he go running? Everyone else does._..' Gaara mentally pondered, frowning in thought. He began swinging back and forth slightly, the toes of his shoes pushing him off against ground, only to drag against it a moment later. "They all fear me...ever since I was a child. I suppose they had reason to. But now, I am the Kazekage. Instead of receiving respect, I still get the same hatred...fear, and disgust." Gaara stated softly.

Lee looked at him in surprise...he hadn't expected Gaara to open up to him. He was trustworthy but it seemed that no matter what he did, nobody would talk to him or trust him. For Gaara to trust him; or at the very least open up...if just a bit, It was obvious progress on Gaara's half. Lee looked at Gaara, and smiled a sad smile.

"I'm sure they don't all fear you. You have saved the village quite a few times, if anything, that alone would earn respect." Lee offered helpfully.

Gaara examined Lee's face with his penetrating stare. "You are unbelievably optimistic." He muttered noncommittally, his tone dry and irritated. . _'If anything, the village would fear me even more. As strong as I am...and born with the Shukaku infused in me...they would all be wondering what they would do if I suddenly reverted back to my old self'_. Gaara thought miserably, keeping his face arranged in a mask of inexpressiveness. They both sat silently, swaying lightly on the swings. "Thank you for walking with me...but I have to get back to work." Gaara murmured after a long moment, putting his hand on Lee's shoulder in a gesture of appreciation as he rose to his feet. When he realized that he had touched another person, he blinked in surprise; glancing at the hand that remained on the leafs shoulder before he smoothly removed it with a curious and uneasy expression as he turned away.

Lee just sat there, shocked. The place that Gaara had brushed was tingling. And warm. He could still feel the touch; and it had been surprisingly gentle and…warm. He wasn't sure why, but he had expected Gaara's hands to be cold.

He sat in the swing for another five minutes, before heading to his apartment. He went to his computer to email Gai-sensei, wondering about Gaara the whole time. He just couldn't seem to get him out of his head. The blood red hair, his brooding expression; brief contact that had passed between the two. Did Gaara even realize he had exited with a friendly gesture? Lee closed his eyes and sighed. But it was even worse with his eyes closed. His vision flooded with images of Gaara in his head. His creamy complexion, his electrifying eyes, the dark rings around them that made them seem so much more intense. And he could feel the friendly brush of Gaara's fingers against his shoulder again, fresh in his memory.

Lee snapped his eyes open and groaned. . He had never thought about another man like that so much. Insisting it was because Gaara was his friend; and because he wanted to help him, he shoved away from the desk and began pacing.

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose in aggravation. He really had a long day tomorrow and didn't have time for this. Gaara was his _friend_. There was nothing more to it then that. You could appreciate how a friend looked, right? How they talked, and walked. How their lips appeared to be so soft…

He growled in aggravation; slamming a fist against the wall. "Oh, _stop_!" He hissed to his own thoughts. "I'm a guy...not gay!" He muttered to himself fiercely. "I just earn Gaara's trust, and now _this_?? I shouldn't even _be_ thinking about Gaara. He is the Kazekage of Sunagakure and my boss." .

'_Yeah, but boss is just a word...a technicality_.' An evil voice said from inside his head. "No! _No, no, no_!" Lee answered with his head in his hands. "I'm _NOT_ gay! I'm head over heels for _Sakura_." He insisted fervently. He paused in the middle of pacing as an idea rushed into his mind. Training. Traning _always _helped him. It kept his mind clear and focused. He grabbed some extra weights and headed off into the desert night.

He reached an empty space, albeit with a few sand dunes, but perfect for training. Taking off his legwarmers, he added the extra weights he'd brought. He could've trained at the Suna training grounds, but he preferred it out here. It was quiet; with only the sounds of insects chirping. He started with squats as a warm up. But when he saw Gaara's face flash in his head again, he started practicing his taijutsu. "Jump, kick.." He muttered to himself as he began to get lost in his own little world. "_NOW!_" he yelled putting on a burst of speed to accelerate his moves and bring them to their fullest potential. He stayed out in the desert, training until the sun came up.

When it did, he headed back to the apartment to take a shower. "Ugh...I feel so gritty." he mumbled to himself, as he stepped into the spray of water. Closing his eyes , he leant his head back, welcoming the water on his face. Suddenly, Gaara's face flashed in his head again, only this time it was as if Gaara was there with him. His hair was wet and ruffled, his eyes closed as water dripped from his hair and streamed down his face. Lee banged his head against the wall and groaned, swiftly washing himself and turning off the water to exit the stall.

He quickly dried himself and changed. He also had work to do, there was bound to be more papers on his desk. He grabbed an apple for breakfast, looking at all the pears he still had. _"Should I give them to Gaara?" _he remembered how the kazekage had eaten the fruit with great relish. He decided he would bring the fruit with and would give some more to Gaara if he happened to see him again so soon.

He arrived at his office and started with his newest paperwork. He just couldn't seem to keep his mind on the forms in front of him...so it took longer than necessary. The uppermost form had RETURN TO KAZEKAGE IMMEDIATELY stamped across it. Sighing, Lee grabbed the forms, and his bag and headed to Gaara's office. He was about to knock when he heard an appalling sound from inside the office that made him decide to skip knocking and just opened the door. He saw Gaara standing in the middle of the room, his arms crossed and his lips turned down in a permanent scowl as he glared at his sister with distaste. "But Gaara; you need to relax. Everyone can see you're overly stressed, and music is the best way to..unwind." She told him superiorly. Gaara just put a hand in his hair and sat at his desk, closing his eyes as his face pinched with anger as Temari kept rambling on about the music. In Lee's opinion, the music was awful. It was tinny, and grated on your nerves. He flinched as an instrument started to play in an unusually high note.

"Temari...I don't think music will help him relax." Lee said, fully entering the office. Gaara looked up at Lee in surprise and before his expression turned wary. His older sibling turned around, stunned to see the leaf jounin standing behind her, and what was more shocking to her was the fact that he was undermining her, for Gaara's sake. She watched as Lee went over to the cd player and took out the disc; his ears relieved for the silence.

Temari looked at him in awe, appearing to be thinking over whether or not to kill him. She then snatched the cd out of Lee's hands and walked out of the office in a huff. As the door closed, both men sighed in relief. "Well...that was awful." Lee claimed, turning back around to face Gaara.

Gaara was watching him, his expression suspicious and puzzled as his eyes flashing from aqua, to a light shade of gray. "Why did you do that?" he questioned gruffly, tensing mistrustfully.

"Did you like the music?" Lee's eyes widened in horror at the thought of doing something Gaara might not have appreciated.

"_No_! It's terrible." replied Gaara at once, his face twisting with disgust as he shuddered repulsively.

"Yes...it was, wasn't it? It almost made my ears bleed." Lee murmured, his lips twitching in amusement at the unusually vehement response. He set the papers on the kazekage desk, remembering the pears in his bag. He took one out and offered it to Gaara, not saying a word whom looked at it, licking his lips absently, but seemed hesitant on taking it. "Is something wrong?" Lee asked apprehensively.A moment later, Gaara shook his head and seized the pear, biting into it with longing.

Lee took a seat and watched the kazekage. It seemed the young man had a new favorite food. As Gaara was chewing thoughtfully, Lee watched transfixed. His gaze watched the movement of the jaw as the muscles twitched. Gaara's tongue flickered out to catch juice lingering on his lower lip to savor the flavor before his eyes flicked over to Lee, whom immediately straightened in his seat and averted his gaze. He could feel his face burning as Gaara assessed his reaction. The kazekage's eyes narrowed as Lee sat there burning with embarrassment.

The piercing blue eyes seemed to be analyzing him, trying to come up with a rational explanation as to why Lee was acting this way. But Gaara couldn't find any reasoning, so he went back to eating his pear. Grateful to have those eyes off of him. Lee silently sighed. "I needed to return these papers." Lee said tapping a finger on the forms he had previously set on the desk. He was hopeful for a distraction. Gaara still seemed lost in thought, so he went on. "Is there somewhere you want me to put them?" he questioned.

Gaara jerked his thumb behind him to a filing cabinet, not bothering to answer audibly as he seemed to drift into thought.

"Okay...well, I'll just put them away and be on my way." Lee replied, Gaara glancing at him sharply as he said that.

Lee carefully got up and walked over to the filing cabinet. He tried to open it, but without success. He yanked, shifted the drawer. Tugged from every angle. "Uh, Gaara...is this locked?" he asked in exasperation

. Gaara looked over and stood up, unable to answer because of a mouthful of pear. He walked over and stood behind Lee, leaning over and banging on the cabinet's side. He accidentally brushed up against Lee, whose eyes had gone very wide when he felt the front of Gaara against his back.

"Broken." Gaara answered, his mouth still full. He started pulling on the drawer, the movement making him rub against Lee, who was standing frozen to the spot he was in. The sensation was sending waves of heat throughout him at the friction. He would have thought the movement would have caused as much distress, if not more so to Gaara. But he didn't feel a response from the groin pressed against him as Gaara tugged on the drawer. It made Lee wonder if the redhead _had_ a sexuality. Or any nerves at all. Any man would have felt something when his lower region was being pressed and rubbed against someone, or something else.

Gaara finally got the drawer to open, and took the papers from Lee, who was standing as straight as a sword; his face red. He closed his eyes and tried to cool his face purely by willpower as hee took a shaky breath and backed away.

"Lee, is something wrong?" asked Gaara in his usual monotonous tone. He watched as Lee's eyes fluttered open.

"No." he answered in a determined voice. _'I can't think this way about the Kazekage...about Gaara.'_ he thought to himself. Gaara stood by the filing cabinet, scrutinizing him. He took a step closer to Lee, and Lee's breathing rapidly increased. "Are you sick? Your face is red." Gaara murmured, putting his hand to Lee's forehead. "Maybe you should take the day off..." he added, jerking his hand away quickly.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe I should." Lee said quickly. He turned around and headed towards the door, but stopped when Gaara started speaking again. "I like the time we spent together...but I really like the pears. You are always welcome into my office, especially if you have an interesting fruit." Gaara stated as a goodbye.


	4. Chapter 4

Lee buried his face in his hands as he left Gaara's office. '_I really shouldn't take the day off...I still have a stack of papers in my office. Maybe I should take them back to the apartment with me?_ He stood in the doorway between his office and the hallway for a few moments as he weighed the pros and cons. He sighed warily, rubbing at his neck as he made his decision. "I'll take them. The work has to be done." He grumbled to himself. He plucked the stack of papers from his desk and headed for his apartment.

As he entered his accommodation, which he was starting to think of as home; he started to burn a bright red all over again. "How embarrassing." He said sternly to himself, recalling what had happened. It was purely by accident that the Kazekage had rubbed up against him like that. But still, that didn't stop his reaction. "Damn filing cabinet, Gaara needs to get a new one." Lee ranted angrily. He was in relentless denial. But he had to face the facts sooner or later. The truth was, he liked it when Gaara had brushed against him like that, it had made him feel...alive.

Lee groaned and flopped on his bed, hands over his red face. "Why me? Why does it feel so good to be touched by him? It doesn't make sense. I love Sakura-chan. She's so strong and funny and beautiful…" Yet he couldn't deny Gaara was as well. And the redheads touch had done something to him that Sakura's hadn't. Even when she was healing him, touching his bare skin. He had felt a sense of admiration for her skill. A flicker of shyness, of embarrassment of having the woman of his dreams touching him. But there had been no rush of heat. Her touch was soft and gentle. She took great care with what she did. She knew what she was doing when she touched him. Gaara had been so oblivious; and had unintentionally made Lee crave more.

"Am I bi? Or gay? Or maybe it's just a phase…"

He groaned to himself miserably. _'And worse of all...Gaara's my friend. I'm just getting him to accept me as such. Why now? Why do I feel such a powerful attraction? I should know better..._' He thought to himself unhappily. "My boss....of all people." he added to himself out loud, abruptly sitting up. He walked over to his computer, debating whether or not to write Gai sensei. "What would I say? 'I may be gay and I need your advice?' No. Hmmm. 'I find myself in love with someone I shouldn't be...what should I do?' Well, that may work, if sensei wouldn't ask who it was, and I know he will." Lee battled with himself. He finally turned away from the computer in defeat. He would have to deal with this on his own. But right now, he had work to do.

He sat down at his desk, and started filling out the dull forms that got delivered to his office daily. '_Let Gaara think I'm sick...for today. Even if I were, I'd be damned if that'd stop me from doing my duties._' He thought to himself decisively. He sat at his desk and tried to concentrate on his work, but just kept remembering the pleasure that Gaara had inflicted by mistake. "Because of that broken cabinet. Damn, he needs to repair a few things in his office." Lee said to himself_. 'Although...you know his body is in perfect working condition._' A wicked voice echoed in his head.

Groaning, Lee thumped his head against his desk a few times. He was on his last two papers...all he had to do was get a degree of concentration. He sat up quickly, intent on finishing the dastardly papers. Reading through the lines quickly, he filled out the last questions. "Finally." He murmured, rubbing his neck wearily.

He looked out his window, and saw Gaara sitting on the rooftop of the office building. He was sitting up there, looking at the moon with an expression of sadness and longing. Lee restacked his papers and put them neatly on his desk before grabbing his bag. It was a bad idea, he knew, but he had decided he would go sit with the Kazekage. Hell, it may help him with his problem. Perhaps if he spent more time with Gaara, his body would catch up with his brain and get the picture that Gaara was his _friend._ And nothing more. He headed out his door, thinking over everything he had discovered today...but hell-bent on being there for Gaara.

As he approached the rooftop Gaara was seated at Lee hiked his bag up another notch on his shoulder so he could safely climb the ladder to the top. He reached the last rung and peeked over at Gaara. It appeared his presence had gone unnoticed so far. Lee called out to Gaara in a gentle, but clearly audible voice. He didn't want to startle the kazekage when he was so preoccupied. But the announcement of his arrival went unheard. Lee frowned, unsure if he didn't hear him because of the wind wildly blowing around them or if he was too deep in thought. Perhaps he was just ignoring him?

The jounin took a deep breath and walked over to Gaara, reaching out his hand to tap him on the shoulder. But as he did Gaara's defensive sand came up, sheltering him from Lee's touch. The kazekage looked up, alarmed, and when he saw it was Lee, the sand lowered. The look of loneliness that had occupied Gaara's features, was replaced by one of impassiveness. Lee sat down next to the Kazekage, and looked at the village. He only looked at Gaara when he realized the young Kazekage was watching him expectantly. Lee smiled to himself and reached in his bag for a pear. He was running low, so he would have to write a letter to Gai-Sensei for more this week.

Lee passed the pear over to Gaara. As the kazekage reached for it, his fingers lightly brushed Lee's and he stiffened automatically. He looked at Lee with narrowing eyes, but the leaf acted as though nothing had happened. Although on the inside, his temperature had spiked .

Gaara held the pear in his hand for a second, staring at it. He appeared to be trying to drill holes into it with his eyes, causing Lee to lift an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" he asked. Gaara kept looking at the pear for a few seconds before his gaze flickered to Lee as his head tilted to the side, appearing to be thinking over something.

"Why?" He whispered to himself. Lee didn't understand what he was talking about, so he pressed the subject. "Why what?" he queried carefully. "_Why_....are you kind? Why would you _care_?" the kazekage asked softly, despondently. Lee's eyebrows shot into his hair in surprise at the statement, but as he opened his mouth to reply, Gaara continued. "You see... no one has ever cared. Why would you? You would be the last person I shold expect kindness from. I almost killed you. You have more reason than most to despise me. To want revenge. You should hate me too."

.

Lee shook his head fervently. "Gaara, you also saved my life. I can't hate you. The chunin exams, my arm and leg were broken, that's it. But pain is strength." Lee answered, trying to comfort Gaara. "Besides, it's in the past, isn't it. You're not who you used to be."

Gaara's gaze slowly drifted to Lee's, catching his and holding it. "But I am."

"I don't believe that, Gaara. You've proven to have control. You're learning to control your rage. There's things so much more important than holding a grudge over a few broken bones. As far as for my caring, well, friends tend to care." Lee added, trying to send the message that Gaara now had a friend; someone he could trust. '_You know you want to be more than friends_.' a voice in his head scolded. Lee rolled his eyes and ignored the voice.

"Friends?" Gaara asked incredulously, staring at Lee with his penetrating gaze as his body stiffened. He had never had a friend before. It was unfamiliar territory. And how could he trust Lee? It could be a trick.

"Yes, friends." Lee said sternly, trying not to squirm under the hawk like stare. Gaara turned his head out to look at the village. "Hmm...." he answered disbelievingly. Lee sighed. _'What do I have to do to prove to him...that he can trust me? And talk to me?' _Lee wondered as he lay on his back to look at the stars, Gaara watching his movement in curiosity. Lee sighed and closed his eyes briefly, only to have them snap open again when he felt Gaara moving beside him. He squeaked in alarm when he saw the kazekage's face right in front of his, examining his expression. Determining whether or not Lee's words were sincere as he watched for a flicker of dishonesty. His gaze was drawn away from Lee's eyes when the leaf licked his lips. His mouth had suddenly gone dryer than dust.

"Friends..." Gaara said to himself, still trying to sort it out. He set down his uneaten pear and stretched a finger out to touch Lee's left eyebrow, straightening out the lines in it. The dark brown eyes fluttered shut as Lee inhaled sharply. He tried to swallow, but having a bit of a struggle. The kazekage looked at Lee, and then frowned at the hand he had used to trace the jounin's eyebrow before he quickly got up and grabbed the fruit, walking away.

Lee looked after him in stunned disbelief. He hadn't expected Gaara to approach him. _'And apparently, neither had Gaara. He's running away…_' he thought to himself in amazement, taking a deep breath.

Lee got to his feet and headed back to his apartment. He planned on taking a shower, and getting some sleep. He entered his "home", sighing softly. Hiom and Gaara would have to talk. "Well, this won't help me any." he said to himself. He hadn't been able to think of anything but Gaara for a few days, and after tonight, things could only get worse. He took off his backpack, tossing it on the bed and heading for the bathroom


	5. Chapter 5

Lee stripped off his green suit and stepped into the shower, sighing. He turned the knob and stepped into the steaming spray of water. " I really should be watching my water usage." He had to remind himself he was staying in a desert now. His mind wandered to Gaara reluctantly and he groaned softly as he turned the water to a cooler temperature; just in case. He couldn't help it. For years, he had been taught about 'youth.' Gai sensei never shut up about it. And being the hot blooded ninja that Lee was...he was sure to feel the "youth" once in awhile.

"So much for my body catching up with my brain…" But he knew what had caused his reaction. The kazekage had gotten so close, so achingly close. When he had been leaning over Lee like that, it had made the other want to kiss him. He had wanted to pull Gaara into his arms. He wanted to explore that sweet looking mouth, and the soft skin. Gaara had made physical contact again. Which only had been making things worse for Lee as his imagination went into overdrive. Contact was not a usual thing for Gaara...Lee knew that. But it was obviously as strange to Gaara as it was to Lee. "As though he doesn't realize he's doing it...until afterwards." Lee muttered distractedly, trying to figure it out.

Lee sighed to himself as he climbed out of the shower. The water had been as relieving as he'd hoped it would be. But he would have to start wearing different clothes. The green suit he wore was a full body spandex suit. And not good in these circumstances. He rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples. "This is starting to become a headache." he claimed, changing into a pair of green boxers and crawling into bed. He lay on his back and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come.

The heat was making sleep difficult. It was burning hot, and the humidity was strangling Lee. He was so much more used to Konoha's weather. It was cooler, and wetter. _'And easier to breathe in._' added Lee in afterthought. But he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Within five minutes, he drifted to sleep.

His dreams lately had been anything but normal. But this was just ridiculous. He knew he was dreaming, his vision was blurry, and everything was too weird to be real. It was one of those dreams where you knew you're dreaming. He looked up and saw a banner saying "Annual Suna Festival".

_"Festival?" He asked himself aloud. He felt someone embrace him from behind. "Yes, the festival. Remember, you promised to come and play with me?" a voice innocently murmured. Lee's eyes widened. He knew that voice all too well. "G-Gaara?" he yelped. A hand going to tug on the arms around his waist._

_"Hmmmm?" the Kazekage purred in response, nuzzling Lee's neck. Lee could feel his body react in response as he shivered, both in the dream, and laying in his bed. He started to toss and turn, moaning to himself. 'Wake up, wake up. WAKE UP NOW!' He urged himself desperately. But to no avail. He licked his lips, closing his eyes with a groan when one of the arms around his waist moved, a hand wandering over his groin. "G-Gaara.." He whimpered pleadingly, his eyes closing tightly._

_"Play with me, Lee. You promised." The redhead growled seductively, pressing up against Lee as his hand slid inside the waistline of the Sunagakure Jounin uniform. He smirked wickedly as the leaf groaned softly, involuntarily rubbing against the palm. "Please, Gaara.." Lee whined, gasping softly._

_"Well, since you asked so nicely.." the kazekage purred as he turned Lee and pressed him up against the side of a building. He licked his lips suggestively as he unfastened Lee's pants before lowering himself to his knees. _

Lee gasped softly, tossing and turning as he snatched himself out of the dream. He sat up shakily, sweating and cursing his active imagination_. _

He gave up on sleeping anymore and walked over to the computer, typing an email to Gai-sensei requesting that he send him a package of fruit. Gai-sensei knew Lee ate a lot, so he wouldn't ask any questions. It was one 'o' clock in the morning, so Lee headed out to the middle of the desert again to train. But halfway through the village, he ran into Kankuro. "Hey man, whatcha up to?" the puppetmaster asked.

"Training." responded Lee, trying to walk around Kankuro, but he just turned around and stepped into stride with Lee. "At this hour?" he asked suspiciously. "Well, yeah. It's humid, but it's also cooler than during the day." Lee gave as an excuse. The truth was, he needed the exercise to tire his body out. Kankuro nodded, thinking about his answer. "I guess you're right. Hey, we're expecting a sandstorm within the next week, so careful how you plan you're training." Kankuro replied to Lee in farewell. '_Sandstorm_...' thought Lee. "Hey, Kankuro?" He called out. The Kazekage's brother turned halfway. "Do you think I can get some regular clothes....the same things the sand jounin wear? You know, so I don't ruin these if I AM caught in any sandstorms?" asked Lee, gesturing at his green suit. He thought that sounded like a valid excuse.

Kankuro tilted his head to the side in thought, but after a moment he nodded. "Sure, mate. You wouldn't want to wear those in the desert anyway. They'll make you overheat.." he answered walking away. "Besides...spandex isn't really a sensible thing to wear." he added without turning around. Lee sighed in relief, continuing into the desert.

He had been training for two hours, when he collapsed on the ground. The heat was hindering his stamina...it was slowing him down. He laid on his back in the sand and closed his eyes. It was still dark out. As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw the bright blue eyes that were Gaara's. Followed by the bloody rust colored hair that always stood on end. Lee opened his eyes and whined in desperation. "Not fair." he said to no one in particular. He was laying on the ground, huffing with exhaustion, and his mind was still messing with him.

He had been fighting against his dreams, his fantasies, against everything...and right now, he was just too tired to. So he let the images flow past his eyes. Like a broken dam, the images came, one right after the other. Memories of Gaara's accidental touch. Images of Gaara, hair wet and face flushed with excitement. Picture after picture came, playing havoc with Lee's body.

Ten minutes later, Lee got up and walked further into the desert. He had been walking for an hour, when he came to a small oasis. He couldn't risk wasting more water in town, so he quickly took off his legwarmers, his weights, and his body suit and jumped in the small pool. He stood in the cool oasis, the water reaching his ribs. He was sweaty, stinky, and hot. _'In more ways than one....._' came that annoying voice. He sunk deep into the water; letting it come up to his nose. He stayed in the water for fifteen minutes since he didn't have to worry about wastage here. It wasn't water that came from the pipes of Suna. This was an underground oasis. "And how good it feels..." Lee mumbled to himself sleepily. He rested his head against the rock behind him, and drifted to sleep.

"Must've been hot for him to fall asleep in here..." claimed a voice, pulling Lee from his sleepy haze. It sounded familiar. "Hmmm." replied another voice. Wait! He definitely knew that voice! His eyes flew open and he looked at his surroundings. He saw Gaara and Kankuro watching him. Although Kankuro was watching with amusement, Gaara looked on in his usual inexpressiveness. Lee gazed at them in horror. He hadn't planned on falling asleep. He wanted to climb out, but couldn't with the two of them there. He was in a pool of water....naked. And there was no way he would get out with them just standing there, staring at him. Kankuro seemed to realize that, and held up some beige cloth. "I got the clothes you asked for. Had a little trouble finding you, though. Didn't expect you to be 'training' in an oasis." He muttered, his voice thick with amusement.

Gaara looked over at Kankuro, his expression unreadable. "Leave him be." he said, turning and heading back towards Suna. Lee and Kankuro watched Gaara in shock. Kankuro pointed to the rock behind Lee. "You can change there, I'm heading back to Suna with Gaara." he explained, handing Lee the clothes. Lee waited until they were out of sight to get out of the pool of water.

He had gone through a lot of embarrassment in the past two months...but this was the worst.

He got dressed and picked up his green suit, putting it into his backpack. He noticed his last pear was gone. He looked in the direction of Suna and grinned. Apparently, the Kazekage couldn't get enough of them. Tonight, he would have to try Gaara with grapes.

He headed back to his apartment, grabbing the papers he had left on the desk in his room. He quickly stuffed his backpack with apples and grapes, and turned to head to his office. But before he got to his office, he had to drop off the papers he had already filled out.

But when Lee reached the Kazekage office, he heard what sounded like an argument going on inside. He had been about to knock, but instead decided to listen closely. "Love. Friends. Family." a voice growled hatefully. Then Lee heard a whimpering coming from inside the office. What was Gaara doing? As much as Lee trusted him, there was always the off chance that his other side could come out...and what if someone was in the office at that timing? Lee opened the door a crack and saw the Kazekage with his head in his hands, gripping his hair. Gaara couldn't see him. His back was turned, and he was absorbed in his thoughts and in his memories. Lee took that moment to walk silently over to the young man. If ever Gaara needed comfort, it would be now. It would be risky, but Lee loved a challenge....and he ......cared..... about Gaara. About his feelings, his well being, Lee just wished he could make the pain go away. He walked slowly up to Gaara, setting the papers on his desk. He then walked around the chair so he could look him in the face.

Gaara's face was streaked with tears, which surprised Lee. A shinobi is taught not to let his emotions get the better of him, and that was something Gaara usually excelled at. _But even he is human, and every once in a while, some things had to be let loose_. Lee knelt in front of Gaara, grabbing his left hand and bringing it away from his face. His right hand was still tightly knotted in his hair.

Gaara jerked in surprise, but let Lee do this. "It's okay, Gaara." Lee simply stated, hoping to be able to help. After all, what were friends for? Gaara looked as though he wanted to argue... to say nothing was okay, but he slumped in his chair, Lee still grasping his hand in a comforting gesture. There was a knock on the door and Lee straightened as Kankuro entered the Kazekage's office.


	6. Chapter 6

"Gaara...we have a problem." Kankuro murmured absently, staring down at a paper in his hand as he hurriedly walked into the Kazekage office. Upon receiving no response, he looked from the back of Gaara's chair, to Lee's face in curiosity.

"What is it?" Gaara asked, without turning his chair to face his brother. Kankuro rose an eyebrow before answering...  
"There is a report from the Anbu that quite a few rogue ninja's from Mist Village are attacking...with the aid of Orochimaru's Sound Ninja." Kankuro explained in a business like voice.

Lee's eyes widened before he quickly looked at Gaara

"Assemble a squad to desist the invasion forces." the Kazekage ordered forcefully. Lee's mind flashed back to his debriefing from Tsunade. _"The sand village will rely on you...should they need your assistance."_ her voice echoed in his head. He put his hand up in a salute, re-entering the present.. "I will be joining the Squad that you assemble." Lee claimed fiercely. He walked out from behind the kazekage desk, to go stand beside Gaara's brother. Kankuro looked at him in surprise, but nodded. They were shorthanded now, with missions coming in and out of both villages. So he would take all the help he could get.

They were both about to leave the office, when a voice came from behind them. "Wait." Gaara demanded shortly. He walked up to Lee and studied him unblinkingly. He then turned his gaze onto Kankuro. "I will come as well. Actually, Lee and I are the strongest ninja here...so forget the squad, and we will go..." Gaara commanded, removing his Kazekage robe. He didn't want to risk more lives than necessary.

"But Gaara! What if something happens to you? Or Lee? No one will be there to-..." Kankuro started, but got cut off. "We will watch eachother. And if something does happen, we can take care of it. Friends...watch eachother's backs, right?" Gaara explained hesitantly. Kankuro winced at the word friends coming from his own brothers mouth The poor brat didn't even know what friendship meant, but this had to mean he was atleast trying.. "Just be sure to give us a medical kit." Gaara added, turning away to hook his gourd onto his back.

Lee watched the two brothers debate back and forth, but eventually, Gaara won. The Kazekage always won. Half an hour later, Gaara and Lee were headed out to the edge of the desert. The sandstorm was starting, so they had the element of surprise on their side. Gaara could control the sand...and move it around to make it more visible for them. '_It's a good thing I finally got this protective clothing._' Lee pondered in relief.

He was still searching his surroundings for signs of the enemy, when Gaara attacked. What he was attacking, Lee wasn't sure of. Until he saw ten dark shapes surround them. Gaara attacked again, but unfortunately the enemy had predicted his movement, and his sand attack was ineffective. They got around his barrier and neutralized his attack. Lee could feel Gaara's chakra level sinking radically...and that would be dangerous for the both of them.

So he did the only thing he could do. He summoned as much chakra as possible for opening his gates. He watched as Gaara moved backwards a step, giving him room to perform his attack. Lee stepped and accelerated his speed, aiming for the nearest ninja. But as he was performing the hidden lotus on the last ninja he had been battling, he watched helplessly as a sound ninja crept toward Gaara...who was kneeling on the ground huffing. Opening another gate, hoping to increase his speed even more, he rushed toward the ninja in time to see Gaara slump to the ground. _'I didn't see a handsign!_' He thought to himself worriedly. He aimed a high power kick to the Sound Ninja, sending him flying five feet away, where he knocked his head against a boulder and slumped to the ground, bleeding slightly from the head. This was bad. Gaara had been attacked by something that was rapidly draining him. Of course it had left Lee open to fight for him; to protect him. But he failed. And failure wasn't an option. So now all he could do, was take care of him for the time being.

Lee let his inner gates close, and walked over to Gaara in pain. Using the gates took it's toll on him, but the Kazekage was top priority.  
He checked over Gaara, realizing that he was unconscious. And with Gaara not having any chakra control, the sandstorm blasted all around them. Lee picked up Gaara, carrying him over his shoulder as he began stumbling through the storm until he found a cave jutting out from a cliff. He staggered into the cave...dropping to his knee's in pain and exhaustion.  
But remembering the leader he held on his back, he dropped into a sitting position more carefully. The cave was hard and uncomfortable, but bearable. So he took his backpack off of himself, emptying out the food contents, and using the pack as a seat. He gently lowered Gaara into his lap, resting his head against Lee's shoulder before he undid the front of his friends shirt. He frowned as he eyed the torse, noting some deep bruises that seemed impossible to come from simple punches. He reached for the pouch attached to his left hip, digging inside for some medicine. Oinment, pills. Anything he could find.

It seemed when Gaara's chakra had been targeted he had lost full capability of controlling his sand, so his defenses had been down while Lee had been desperately trying to protect them both.

He found a small container of ointment. It was the container Naruto had given him as he had been leaving the village. A similar jar he had seen his own teammate with on occasion.

. _"It's the stuff Hinata gave me when I defeated Kiba...you remember how beat up I was, right? Well, this stuff worked wonders!"_ Naruto's voice rang out in Lee's head. _'Of course...Naruto had the demon foxes chakra to help him with a speedy recovery...but Gaara had the Shukaku...perhaps that would help him too?_' wondered Lee. He saw blood soaking through the back of Gaara's shirt. He had't even thought about the possibility of Gaara getting physically wounded, it had never happened to say, he was highly concerned, worried something may have gotten fatally injured.

Frowning, he shifted aside the divided halves of the unbuttoned shirt, his eyes widening when he made a discovery. A fresh, deep slice into Gaara's abdomen.

He bit his lip as he applied the ointment to Gaara's wound, smearing a little blood across the kazekage's navel as well by accident. But it was quickly ignored. Risking a little messiness was always necessary to treat a wound. The injury went from his right rib, to his left hip. And it was deeper than he had originally thought. Despite the dire circumstances and his embarrassment, he tugged Gaara's pants down a notch or two to reach the end of the wound. He couldn't help it when his gaze drifted further than they should have at the time, his expression flickering with interest. He shook away his sudden morbid perversness, applying a generous amount of ointment to Gaara's wounds before taking a deep breath as he taped gauze to the ugly slash carved into his friends skin.

Putting away the medical kit, Lee rested his head against the stone behind him, waiting for morning to come. They had defeated the enemy ninja...now if they could just get through the night. Lee fell asleep in the cold cave, to the sound of sand and wind whirling around outside... warmed by the presence of Gaara in his lap.


	7. Chapter 7

Lee awoke the next morning when he felt a shifting in his lap. His eyebrows wrinkled with a frown while in the midst of a dream. What could that be? A dog? No….he didn't have any pets. He lived alone. Wait…

_Where am I?_ The surface he was sitting on felt too hard to be his bed, or to have passed out in the training field. He groaned, rubbing at his eyes determinedly to get the groggy feeling to pass. It was then he realized he felt heavier than normal, so he wriggled a little to sit up and opened his eyes blearily. He saw icy blue eyes less than an inch from his own and jumped/ What a way to wake up. "Shi..! Don't scare me like that!" He sighed, rubbing at his neck as he let the memories from the other day filter into his mind. Oh…that's right. They were fighting…ambushed really.

"You saved me?" Gaara asked in consternation, leaning his head against Lee's shoulder wearily.

"Uh, well..." Lee trailed off as he started coughing viciously. He could feel the sand in his throat. Gaara looked at him in confusion, reaching a finger to rub Lee's dry, cracked lips with a frown. "You've dehydrated yourself, fool.." He claimed, reaching for one of Lee's water bottles. As Lee stopped coughing, he thought about that caress to his lips, and touched them absent mindedly. They were still tingling..

"Here." Gaara said, shoving the water bottle in Lee's face, interrupting his thoughts. Lee snatched his hand away from his lips, and muttered an agitated thank you before bringing the bottle to his lips and drinking deeply. He didn't really notice that Gaara was still watching him. He just knew he wanted that water, and more of it as it soothed his parched throat.

When he removed the bottle from his lips, a dribble of water dripped down his chin, descending toward his throat. Gaara watched the drop carefully as it neared the collar of Lee's shirt. He reached his finger up to catch the drop, licking it off his finger delicately.

That certainly got the leafs attention. He watched Gaara wide eyed, choking as he struggled to swallow. He ended up coughing on water and spluttering weakly before turning red and averting his gaze to looking outside the cave. The sandstorm had stopped. "We should head back, Gaara." he said to the Kazekage without looking at him. Gaara looked at Lee for a minute, then followed his gaze to the cave entry. "Not yet." he answered icily, gripping Lee's shoulder and trying to sit up. Lee looked at him sharply. "Not yet? Why?" he asked confusedly. Gaara sat up completely in Lee's lap, facing him. "Because I said so." he answered harshly.

His expression then turned from hard and calculating, to one of curiosity. He grabbed Lee's hand and traced the lines in his palms, frowning. "Interesting…". He lifted the jounin's sleeve up roughly, tracing a line up to his elbow. Lee shuddered in pleasure when the movement caused gaara to unintentionally press against his groin, and tried not to fidget. "Gaara...we should really-.." he started, but got cut off when Gaara put his hand over his mouth. He removed his hand to open Lee's vest, whom was by then openly gawking. He took a shaky breath as Gaara traced from his collarbone, down to his waist. His eyes were fluttering and his heart was beating wildly. Gaara looked up at Lee in confusion...he had noticed the increase and was worried by it. "Are you feeling well?". He retraced the line he was drawing on Lee's chest, and noted a pattern when Lee twitched jerkily. It seemed his touch was turning his supposed bodyguard into a jump rabbit. He smirked cruelly, more than a little fascinated by this. He didn't know what was causing Lee's reaction, but he knew he was in control. And he liked it.

Lee could feel the temperature steadily rising in the cave, and if they didn't leave soon, he couldn't be held responsible for his actions. Gaara was toying with him. He knew it, and he knew Gaara knew. And it wasn't fair. Every touch Gaara inflicted caused a degree of stimulation to Lee's body. It was only a matter of time before the Kazekage realized what was going on under his lap. Lee tried to shift so that wouldn't happen, he didn't want Gaara to find out. But Gaara pushed him against the rock to hold him still, having never been the most patient person in the world. He glanced at the leaf sharply when Lee whimpered in protest. Wrong or not, gaara didn't care. He missed tormenting people.

The kazekage sat back in Lee's lap, bringing his finger up to Lee's throat now. Lee closed his eyes and rested his head against the rock behind him. _'Wrong, wrong, WRONG!_' he told himself fiercely. He looked up when Gaara removed his hand. Lee examined Gaara's face to see what he was doing now, only to have his face pale when the kazekage moved, lifting his knees upon noting something wasn't right. He looked down at Lee's lap, frowning. Realization came into his eyes and heglanced at the leaf in shock.  
_  
'Gay?'_ Gaara thought to himself, while Lee sat there shame faced. _'Maybe I can have some fun..._' It didn't automatically mean he himself was gay as well. Just that he could torture Lee a little longer. Until he directly confirmed his suspicions. He grinned a wicked grin, sitting fully on Lee's lap again, wriggling as though to get comfortable, but pleased when he heard Lee gasp. "G-Gaara...we need to head back..." Lee hissed dazedly.

Gaara looked at him. He wanted to have some more fun, and internally cursed when a flicker of guilt ran through him. He knew he was embarrassing his new friend. Not to mention he had no intentions of getting involved. He just wanted to have a little fun. "Hn…." he stated, climbing off Lee's lap, twitching the corner of his lips in a wry smile. 'Enough torment...for now.' Gaara thought to himself evily.

'_Fine?'_ Lee echoed in his head. '_Oh good_.' he added as an afterthought, sighing to himself in relief. He struggled to his feet, and grabbed his backpack. It appeared Gaara had gotten his strength back, because he latched his gourd to his back and headed for the exit, waiting outside for Lee. Lee examined himself and groaned. This was definitely not going to be easy. But at least he had looser clothes now...it would make...things...less noticeable. He was horrified that Gaara had learned his secret. What was he going to do now?

He stepped outside the cave and followed Gaara at a safe distance. They were heading back to Suna...and Lee was pleased when he thought of his apartment back there. He really hated sleeping in caves_. 'Although, you weren't cold, were you? Not with that hot body in your lap_.' The exasperating voice in his head stated. Lee balled a fist and punched himself in the head to shut it up as they reached the village gates just when Kankuro rushed out to greet them. "How did everything go?" He asked worriedly. Gaara flashed a look of amusement in Lee's direction. "It's taken care of." He answered, walking past his brother and heading towards his office. Lee silently groaned in humiliation, walking towards his apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

Upon entering his apartment, he tossed his bag on his bed a bit haphazardly in his distraction, before he headed for the bathroom. For a shower. Again. He was getting really annoyed by this. He had never been turned on so frequently before, and he was starting to feel like a switch. On. . Off. But lately he had been on more often than off. It was bewildering. He knew Gaara was the type of person to not get too involved, and besides that it was improper to even want to. They were both men, and the infamous redhead was a well adjusted Kazekage. He was stil in denial about his sexual preference, telling himself it was the heat. They were both hot blooded young men, and they spent a lot of time together under the blazing sun. So of course things would get a little weird. They were always forced to spend time together, and just that simple fact was confusing his body. That's all…

He clambered into the shower stall, inspecting the tiles on the wall to keep his mind off of his current dilemna. And off what had happened in the cave. Gaara now knew...he knew Lee had a weakness and he had decided to play with him. Like a cat with a mouse. And that was pure torture. Lee sighed and let the water run over his face, wishing he could drown so he wouldn't have to live with this embarrassment.

He slumped against the wall of the shower, his hand against his head as he pondered his options. Gaara…his whole personality was the exact opposite of what Lee looked for in a lover. He knew how Gaara was. Once he found something he liked to toy with, because it was new and interesting...he wouldn't stop until he figured out it's secrets. _He's going to eat me alive…_

He turned off the water and wrapped a towel around himself, heading into his room with a weary sigh.. With how distracted he was, he had forgotten to bring his bag into the bathroom. But he had to change and head to the office. Now that the enemy ninja were dealt with...there was bound to be some papers to fill out. "What a pain..." Lee said to himself in a dull tone, grabbing a clean beige sand jounin uniform.

Half an hour later, he was on his way to the office building. Hoping to pass the Kazekage office without Gaara's notice. But as he passed it, he saw an orange kitten sitting at the doorHead tilting to the side in confusion, he thought for a second before picking it up to take it to his office. When he did, he poured a bowl of milk for it and set it on the floor. But the kitten just started mewing loudly and scratching at the door. Lee covered his ears and opened his office door when mewing turned into intolerable whining. He rose an eyebrow as it calmly trotted from his own office, and back to Gaara's office door.

Lee smiled wryly and got to work. Eventually the kitten would leave...right?  
But it just sat at the door throughout the three hours that Lee was filling out paperwork. Once again, there was a paper that said, RETURN TO KAZEKAGE IMMEDIATELY. He sighed and crept through the hall, hoping Gaara wasn't in his office. He opened the door, letting the kitten in by accident. Gaara was there, but he was faced in the other direction, so Lee snuck over to the desk and set the papers down quietly...quickly turning to rush out. He wasn't prepared for a confrontation just yet.

"Hello_, Lee_." a voice from behind him murmured silkily, causing his stomach to flip nervously. He'd thought he had done a good job of being sneaky. And nearly perfectly silent. No chance of escape now. He silently groaned, slowly turning to face Gaara. The kazekage had twisted his chair around to watch him intently; in a way one could call creepily analytic.

."Hi, Gaara." he replied weakly. _Dammit.._

The kitten ran around the room, chasing sand that was flowing back and forth from Gaara's gourd. Lee's gaze watched it's gradual and somewhat lazy movement out of interest. No..there was no chance of him being afraid of gaara. No way. But then why was he trying to avoid making eye contact?

Cyan eyes stared at Lee sharply, scrutinizing him like a hawk deliberating it's next meal. It made him kind of jumpy and tense. Lee watched Gaara as he seemed to drift into thought; remembering how he had acted the day before. He found it rather interesting. Gaara knew he had been the one who was in contro; completely and inevitably. But he also knew it made Lee uneasy. He smirked. _'Oh well. I want to play some more_.' He didn't know anything about a body's reactions, so he didn't know how Lee's body did that. No one had ever dared get close enough to him for him to have first hand experience. Although he knew why a body reacted that way, he was curious about how you got to the why. Not everyone would get turned on from just a light touch. Most would have considered what he had done to be intolerable, disgusting. Or in some odd circumstances, a friendly gesture. But watching the leaf shift from foot to foot, he knew that wasn't the case. And he was having so much fun teasing him...

Gaara stood up and walked over to Lee. "Look at me." he commanded sternly, jerking Lee's chin down to force their gazes to connect. Lee did all he could to not look for a few moments, even looking off to a side before reluctantly staring into Gaara's icy blue eyes. His face abruptly flared up, burning an embarrassing shade of red. "Ohhh?." Gaara noted softly, letting his index finger trail down Lee's jaw for a second. The older male swallowed roughly, his eyes going wider than their already large size as he tried to back up a step. But that tactic only proved to be a poor idea when he was backed up against the wall. He looked around quickly in a panic when Gaara stepped closer, closing the distance between them. Lee knew he was toying with him again. Making him suffer. Hee bit his lip and took a deep breath. Time to prove that Gaara couldn't affect him as easily as he thought he could. Mind over matter. That's all it was. And he was a master at it.

"Gaara, stop. You can't torture someone for fun." Lee snapped firmly, flattening himself back against the wall. "It's _wrong."_

Gaara just stared back at him impassively. "Your point? It's fun. And I've had so little fun since becoming kazekage. I'm not allowed to kill or torment anyone for the hell of it anymore". "Gaara, it's a _bad_ idea!" Lee exclaimed desperately. "But I'm a bad person.." Gaara purred, his head tilting.

"But you're not gay!"

Gaara stopped walking and stared at Lee, his expression switching from one of smugness to one of scrutiny.

Lee thought about what he said...  
"..._Are_ you ?" Lee asked in curiosity. The kazekage appeared to be thinking this over. But he didn't answer. He just advanced towards Lee again, who took his silence as an affirmation, although it wasn't that at all. It was simply a thought leading to a curiosity. Was he gay? Even Gaara didn't know. He knew Lee was the first person he could trust, and that he liked making him squirm. "Hmmm…let's just think of this as a test run, shall we?" he murmured as he began tracing out designs on Lee's chest again. But he swiftly had to press him against the door more firmly when Lee jerked unsteadily. He hadn't expected the movement, but imagined it was deserved, with how he had started pressing against the leaf….

"Gaara...y-you're..."Lee trailed off, shuddering. He wasn't sure if Gaara was gay, Gaara might think he is, but then again, his friend was a torturous person. Perhaps discovering a new method had piqued his interest. He wasn't sure what to think...on one hand...he _really _liked this, as wrong as it was to admit it. It was torture, sure. But it was a sweet, electrifying torture. And maybe; just maybe, it might alloww Gaara to get close to other people, to find someone to love. On the other, regardless of whether or not Gaara was gay...it was extremely wrong. Gaara was leaning his head towards Lee's shoulder when an orange kitten jumped on his head, interrupting them. It startled them both, but after a moment Lee sighed with relief. Hormones. At least things weren't taken too far.

Gaara looked at the kitten in surprise before letting his expression relax and backing away from Lee, the kitten still on his head. He sat down at his desk. "Torture..." he stated simply. He appeared to be thinking over what Lee had previously said. His usual methods involved blood and sand. "Does it hurt?" he questioned curiously

. Lee was confused.

"Torture...is a form of _pain_." Gaara explained at his look blandly, expression flickering with irritation as though thinking '_what an idiot'._

Lee's lips twitched up vaguely, with a hint of sorrow. It was so sad that was all Gaara knew, just the one way of torture.. "There are more than one ways to torment a person. There is pain, and then there is...well, something pleasurable, but you feel is wrong. So it's more like an internal struggle.. mental stress." Lee tried to explain. He wasn't very good at explaining things he didn't understand very well himself. Gaara just stared at Lee.

"Mrrrau?" meowed the cat sleepily from Gaara's head, breaking the silence. Lee laughed, sitting on the other side of the desk as Gaara reached up to pet the small creature.

Lee was still wondering about Gaara...but he also had to get back to his office. He looked at Gaara in regret, but reached over to pet the kitten. Gaara was watching him carefully. "How did you know you were gay?" he asked bluntly. Lee blinked a few times. "I…I never said I was!" He yelped in response, his face flushing guiltily. Was he? Well, he only knew of one way to explain, and he could find out the answer later. ".. well...I couldn't get my mind off of...someone. A guy. And I was having interesting fantasies about him." Lee answered, refusing to let Gaara know he was talking about him. He climbed out of his chair and headed to the door, hoping to exit before he combusted into another fit of blushing. "Hmmm..." came Gaara's voice as Lee was leaving.


	9. Chapter 9

Gaara watched as Lee exited his office. "Fantasies..." he quietly pondered. "I wonder who his fantasies would be about?" he questioned himself with a touch of jealousy. _ARE YOU DEAD IN THE HEAD? THEY'RE ABOUT YOU! _came a voice from inside his head. _I swear. Leave it to the old bastards to saddle me with a retarded host._ The demonic voice snarled from the inner regions of the redheads mind. He always tried to ignore that despicable voice; but it's words perked his curiosity. He looked at the door Lee had previously exited in shock, shaking his head. It couldn't be. Shukaku was lying. "Me?" he murmured to himself, in faint disbelief. The thought was so ridiculous, but he couldn't help thinking about it. One thought chased another around in circles in his head, like a merry go round, before a sly smile occupied a corner of his lips. If it were true, there were ways to find out. And to toy with the idiotic ninja. He would realize how stupid, and harmful it was to fall for the demon of the sand. Whether it be love, or lust. "How interesting. Maybe...I should pay him a visit...later." He said to himself devilishly, his eyes narrowing. Thing's were about to get entertaining.

Lee was heading back to his office; planning on getting some more work done. But when he reached his office door, it was locked. _I couldn't have been gone that long,_ he thought to himself. He gave up on trying to get in his office after a few moments of pulling and twisting on the door hopelessly, and returned to his apartment instead. He hadn't been getting very much sleep lately. Damned dreams. But, as he kept telling himself, he was a young man. A red blooded male with wants and needs. They had just been taking form in his dreams, desire disguising itself as his superior. He sighed softly, shaking his head. He needed to stop thinking about it. Act more professionally. But first.. he needed to try and get a decent nights rest.

He had fallen asleep within fifteen minutes of throwing himself on his bed, having the ability to will himself to sleep whenever needed. But he was starting to dream inappropriately again. Actually, it was just a replay of his last dream. So he knew what to expect, and was determined to put a stop to it. He saw the sign for Annual Suna Festival again, and grew anxious as he waited for that familiar voice to whisper in his ear. He knew in the dream Gaara wanted to play...but Lee had misunderstood what he meant. It was just so unlike him, Gaara was never intentionally seductive. That was never how he would realy want to play. Not like that. In his mind he knew that wasn't the Gaara he knew. It was just a more submissive and eager to please version. He didn't like Gaara behaving like that, that wasn't the crazy, stoic redhead he knew. But apparently his body craved control. As he was sleeping, his senses prickled. He could feel someone's presence in the room, but he couldn't wake up. The most he could do was groan in discontent. As excellent a ninja that he was...he was a heavy sleeper. He struggled to wake up, hearing the persons soft footsteps coming closer, mixing into his dream.

As the person approached his bed, Lee heard himself whimper in an attempt to wake himself up...it was proving more difficult than he had imagined. He was half in his dream, and half aware of his surroundings. The next sound to reach his ears was something hit the floor with a muffled thud, and then the creaking of his bed as added weight shifted on the mattress. It wasn't the persons full weight, he could tell. Like they were just sitting cautiously...and watching him. He knew they were watching him, because he could feel their steady gaze. And the presence wasn't threatening, so he knew it was someone he trusted. In this village, there were only a few people he knew, let alone would let into his room safely while he was asleep.

He jerked and started to sweat, trying harder to bring himself out of his sleepy fog. He felt a cool finger touch his forehead, poking gently before it trailed down to his nose. His eyes immediately snapped open as he bolted upright in his bed. His gaze shot around the room jerkily, trying to focus, but the first thing he saw was Gaara's face less than a foot from his own, eyes open in surprise. Apparently he hadn't expected Lee to wake and sit up so suddenly. His hand was still stretched out to where Lee's face previously was, frozen in surprise. With his friends sudden movement, sand had rushed forth, and had been an inch from wrapping Lee in a gritty hug. But before it could, the younger man got over his surprise, blinking and pulled his hand back slowly. He let it drop to the bed, his fingers tapping against the comforter. "Shouldn't you be asleep?" He asked reservedly. He had arranged his face into a mask of inexpression; although a flicker of dismay had flashed through his eyes as soon as Lee sat up.

"Gaara? What are you doing here?" Lee asked warily. Gaara just looked at him with a decisive look on his face as Lee's words echoed in his head. Fantasies. He had come to the room with a firm resolve. To interrogate, and to torment. But now, he felt a bit uneasy. "..I had fantasies. I couldn't think about anything else except the other person..." he hinted. Granted, the fantasies were more bloody than the normal humans. And cruel. But they also made him curious, his tongue drifting over his lower lip in excitement as he thought about how much pain the leaf could take. He looked at Lee questioningly, there was no doubt in his mind that Lee was gay. And it would just be that much more embarrassing for his friend if he were. But there was only one way to find out if he was. He sat closer to him, watching him intently.

Lee looked at the Kazekage, his face lighting up in realization. He knew what he was up to, and he put his hands up in a warding gesture. "Don't.."

Gaara ignored his motion, pushing him backwards savagely. Lee bounced awkwardly on the bed, trying to quickly scramble back to sit up. He wanted to be on even grounding, but Gaara held him there without a word. A look of uncertainty crossed over the Kazekage's features,he wasn't sure of what to do. What normal people did. But he stiffened his resolve and leant over Lee, pressing a hard kiss to his lips. He gripped him by the wrists, holding them down by his sides.

Lee froze as Gaara probed his lips with his tongue, but relaxed a second later, his lips going soft under the curious ones covering his own. His lips parted with a silent gasp as Gaara licked his lips, before taking this opportunity to probe between his lips, and his tongue. Lee moaned needily, trying to move his arms away from where Gaara was pinning them. He was unsuccessful, so he twisted his hips, and ended up pulling him closer to his own body. Gaara held himself up using the same hands he used to keep Lee's arms away.

He pulled his face away from Lee's and breathed in deeply. "I like that." He noted simply, his voice a tad thicker, and his expression stunned. Lee looked at him in confusion and used the moment to try and pull away, but still had no success. '_Not good_.' he thought. '_Says who? You know you like it!' _came that evil voice in his head again. Lee growled, mentally telling it to shut up. Gaara leaned closer to him, laying against the taller male. His lips quirked up, before he pressed against him, nuzzling into his neck at the same time. "...Ohhh.." Gaara purred. He hadn't expected to feel anything from this. He rubbed against Lee harder, his eyes half lidding. "Interesting.." he murmured, a touch breathlessly.

Lee shook his head roughly, trying to force away lust and overcome it with logic. Gaara was enjoying himself, it made him wonder. Was he gay, as well? Or were they both simply just confused, and using eachother to make themselves feel loved? "We-We can't.." he groaned."G-Gaara..." he breathed erratically, twisting against the bed as the kazekage pushed his hips into the movement more. "_Gaara_! Stop..." he pleaded

Gaara froze and looked at Lee. "Why?" he commanded harshly, before his gaze drifted Lee's boxers. "I know you want this." He added cruelly, his eyes narrowing. "Don't pretend you don't. You blush and you hide, but there's only so much running you can do from _me._ When my prey flees, I chase. " he growled dangerously. "Besides that, I want it too..." he said with an edge of hysteria, surprised with himself.

"Yes, but...Gaara. There's more to it than just sex." Lee whispered agitatedly. "Like what?" demanded Gaara impatiently, snapping a glare to him. "Everyone else fucks, why can't I?"

Lee flinched, before averting his gaze. His voice softened as he spoke. "Relationships, Gaara. I never imagined being with anyone other than Sakura before I came to stay here. But we've gotten closer, haven't we? If we just have sex, it will ruin our friendship. Do you really want to do that? Do you just want to _use_ eachother?" Lee explained, trying to bring the kazekage to his senses by making him realize that he could lose his friend.

Gaara looked downward, his eyes lonely. He seemed to sink into thought. He was having fun, but if it would cost him the one person that listened to him-and not because they had to- then was it really worth it? "No." he whispered. He released Lee, letting him up. He frowned as Lee sighed in relief. "Was it really that horrible to imagine fucking with me?" he asked quietly. "Am I that repulsive?"

Lee blinked in surprise, staring at Gaara as though he had lost his mind. And he had to wonder if he had. How did Gaara see himself? Couldn't he see what he saw? Hair color so vibrant and rich, you couldn't help envy it. Bright blue eyes that seemed to see into your very soul. Ivory, luscious looking skin. It probably tasted as good as it looked. "Are you kidding, Gaara?" he asked quietly, rubbing a hand through his hair aggressively, leaving his usually flat hair a bit ruffled. "I just..I don't want to sleep with someone just to sleep with them. I won't. I want to be involved."

"Explain." Gaara demanded strongly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Lee was clueless. "Explain...?" He echoed, causing the kazekage frowned at him, before snapping his fingers in front of his face. "Listen!" he snapped impatiently. "Stop repeating me. If we have a relationship, will we still be friends?" he asked after a moment, his tone softening a bit

Lee thought this over for a minute. "Yes, I suppose so. But everything will change. " He replied, trying to explain. "What is a relationship?" Gaara demanded. "People have sex all the time. Isn't that what a relationship it? Sexual gratification?"

Lee turned red. "Its- well...it's where two people who really like eachother will get together. Like boyfriend and girlfriend." Lee stated, using the old fashioned explanation. He paused, thinking over their scenario. "Although in our case..." he trailed off.

"It would be boyfriend and boyfriend?" Gaara finished for him, sounding amused. "Uh.. yeah." Lee muttered, burning an even brighter red.

"Alright then." Gaara said thinking about it for a minute, before he leant over to kiss Lee again. But Lee backed away in shock. "Gaara...what about the talk we just had?" he asked desperately.

"But we also just talked about relationships. Don't you want me? Aren't I your boyfriend?" Gaara asked, his eyes wide and innocent.

'_When it comes to real life, he's naive_.' thought Lee. But it was to be expected. Gaara had never learned anything about a human, and how they should be. How things worked beyond killing. God knew he wanted him, especially with that expression. It reminded him of his dreams. He got the feeling Gaara just wanted to be his 'boyfriend' so he could feel what it meant to be close to someone. And on one hand it made him feel used. On the other...it may prove helpful to Gaara in the long run. He swallowed roughly. It sounded like he had already made his decision.

He sighed. "A few rules, Gaara. We have to keep this as secret as possible. You don't want your village knowing you're interested in anyone, let alone me. And on that same hand, we don't want people to know your very own liaison is the person you're seeing. And...relationships aren't just sex. It's also doing things together." He held up a hand as Gaara opened his mouth to speak. "Let me finish." he interjected, smirking as those beautiful cyan eyes flashed with fury. Apparently Gaara didn't like being told to wait his turn. "As I was saying. If we're going to have a _relationship,_ it's about being _together._ Enjoying each others company. Like the fruit breaks we have together. So maybe we can make time in the day for one another." Lee explained in his youth-will-beat-all tone of voice.

Gaara scowled, shooting him a sideways glance before nodding. He then looked at the clock. It was five in the morning. "I have to go." he muttered before climbing off the bed, strapping his gourd to his back. "I have work to do." he added in a growl. "But we're not through here. _I'm_ not through with _you._"

Lee sighed as he watched Gaara leave, before he shook his head disbelievingly. "Gaara. The Kazekage of the Sand Village, is my boyfriend? How did that happen?" he muttered dazedly. "I wonder if I'm still dreaming. If not... better not get him angry..." he added to himself, laying down again to get some rest.


End file.
